Lighthouse,
the leading commercial intelligence platform for the travel & hospitality
industry, today announced an approximately $370 million growth investment led
by global investment firm, KKR. This investment accelerates Lighthouse's
mission to reimagine commercial strategy for the $15 billion travel &
hospitality technology market. Proceeds from the investment will be used to
drive continued product innovation across Lighthouse's platform, strategic
acquisitions, and global expansion efforts.
Lighthouse’s suite of products provides revenue managers,
commercial leaders, and accommodation owners with easy-to-use tools that drive
incremental bookings, streamline operations, and enable a better customer
experience for guests. The platform is underpinned by proprietary technology
that processes over 400 terabytes of travel and market data daily and leverages
AI to deliver real-time insights that enable customers to make better and more
efficient operational decisions. Lighthouse has established itself as
hospitality's leading commercial intelligence platform, with 700+ employees
worldwide and an industry-leading NPS score of 70+.
“We're extremely grateful to the 70,000+ hospitality
providers, who have placed their trust in Lighthouse," said Sean
Fitzpatrick, CEO of Lighthouse. “I couldn’t be more energized by what we’re
working towards. We’re just getting started in making hospitality data and
tools more powerful, accessible, and affordable. This investment by KKR
significantly accelerates our ability to enhance our commercial platform
through expanded AI capabilities and additional data sets, enabling us to
better serve our existing customers while continuing to expand across the
hospitality market.”
KKR has established a proven track record of supporting
technology-focused growth companies, having invested approximately $23 billion
in related investments since 2010 through its private equity and growth equity
funds and built a dedicated global team of nearly 70 investment professionals
with deep technology growth equity expertise. Lighthouse will be able to
leverage KKR’s extensive industry experience, local resources and global
network to help further enhance its customer offerings and tap into new segments
globally.
“Lighthouse has demonstrated an exceptional ability to
support hoteliers of all sizes – ranging from global chains to independent
properties – by addressing the unique needs of each segment,” said Stephen
Shanley, Partner and Head of Tech Growth in Europe at KKR. “Their strong track
record, customer loyalty, and proven ability to deliver value across varied
markets position them as the leading platform in this space. We are proud to
support Lighthouse in expanding its global footprint, driving continued innovation,
and enhancing its market leading offerings."
This latest funding builds on Lighthouse’s $80M Series B
investment round, which was completed in November 2021. Existing investors
Spectrum Equity, F-Prime Capital, Eight Roads Ventures, and Highgate Technology
Ventures will continue their participation in the business.
KKR is making the investment in Lighthouse through its
Next Generation Technology III Fund.
William Blair acted as financial advisor. Latham &
Watkins served as legal advisor to Lighthouse and Gibson Dunn as legal advisor
to KKR.
About Lighthouse
Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) is the leading
commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry. We transform
complexity into confidence by providing actionable market insights, business
intelligence, and pricing tools that maximize revenue growth. We continually
innovate to deliver the best platform for hospitality professionals to price
more effectively, measure performance more efficiently, and understand the
market in new ways. Trusted by over 70,000 hotels in 185 countries, Lighthouse
is the only solution that provides real-time hotel and short-term rental data
in a single platform. We strive to deliver the best possible experience with
unmatched customer service. We consider our clients as true partners—their
success is our success. For more information about Lighthouse, please
visit: https://www.mylighthouse.com
About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers
alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance
solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a
patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and
supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors
investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has
strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer
retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global
Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the
activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional
information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website
at www.kkr.com.
For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit
Global Atlantic Financial Group’s website at www.globalatlantic.com.